Meanwhile... At the Banquet Hall...
It had been several minutes since the meeting had begun. The silence in the air between them was thickening with each passing moment, growing much more uncomfortable as the time ticked along.
"Ugh, what's taking those two so long. They're late." An executive with a hairstyle reminiscent of dreads gritted his teeth. From his pocket he pulled out a cigarette, lighting it as he takes a drag and puffs smoke into the air.
Hard to believe this was the CEO's Right-Hand man.
The other executives didn't seem to mind all too much, they just let it happen. What were they to say to him otherwise. He was the CEO's Right-Hand man, he outranked all of them.
"We should start the meeting, they're both incompetent anyway." The CEO's Right-Hand man stated, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"Patience..." The young woman hidden behind a kitsune mask ushered to the CEO's Right-Hand man, a hint of annoyance behind her tongue, sick of his impatient attitude.
"..."
Finally, after what felt like eternity.
The two late comers finally make an appearance, one older fellow dawning fabric only fit for a king, another was a teenage girl in a compiled mess.
"Sorry we're late." The royal highness apologized, bowing as he takes a seat at the roundtable. While the girl sat next to him, barely looking past the table.
The CEO's Right-Hand man scoffed at the royal highness, "Typical. I thought royalty was better than this." The CEO's right scoffed and rolled his eyes. Snuffing his cigarette now that the two were present.
"I see you're still an annoyance, TJ." The royal highness spat back, leaning forward and exhaling an exacerbated breath. "Can we get this meeting started? I do not want to deal with you any further than I am forced to."
TJ stretched and corrected his posture and suit, "Yes, yes we can."
"Since Big Q isn't around for this meeting due to... work, I'll be leading the meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to update one another on what we've been up to."
"First order of business, we got new ranks within the court."
TJ adjusts his collar, clearing his throat before gesturing towards the royal highness, "Due to Zane's failure to secure the Miracle Key, he'll be demoted down to 5th." Then he gestured towards the young woman with the kitsune mask, " "Inari" gets to 4th rank due to one of her rookies obtaining the Stone Key."
"I... expected this, but it still hurts." Zane murmured to himself, "I shall take this adroitly."
"Now--"
A singular tap against the table causes the entire table's focus to shift onto the 3rd ranked executive, the CEO's knight in shining armor. TJ knew exactly why they wanted to get his attention.
"..."
"...No, Player. You're not getting my rank." TJ clarified, yet he could tell they were glaring blades into his very soul underneath that helmet of theirs.
"..." They tapped their finger against the table again, much more aggressively than the first time. The metal plating on their armor scraping and bumping against the table.
Taking a deep breath, TJ leaned backwards and pulling his head back. He knew exactly what they were asking of him, everyone knew exactly what they were asking of him. He mentally prepared himself for what's to come, "Besides the key your subordinate collected, what happened at the Academy?"
"Your 'knights' had failed to protect and maintain peace at the Academy. I had to go out and chase down Qilintel myself."
...oh boy.
With the immediate silence that followed, TJ noticed of Player's grip against the table. Firmly scrapping the wood's surface with their gloves, a heavy exhale coming from their helmet. It was apparent to everyone in the hall of what Player was thinking, "Everyone in this room is useless".
Suddenly, Player turned to the executive on the farthest side of the table, a young woman with antlers exactly to that of Staligant.
The one who suggested the Key Hunt to begin with.
The young woman blissfully leaned forward and pointed towards herself, as if confirming who they were pointing towards. And they nodded.
She shrugged and giggled, "I dunno what you want me to say! I can't be focusing on the Key Hunt! I've been busy recruiting more employees and dealing with tasks you all left undone."
A big slam against the table proved to draw their attention to Player once more, "..." When TJ shrugged, rolling his eyes and pointing to the young woman.
"Listen, Alice. If Rebecca wasn't some nepo-baby, you'd be the lowest rank executive here. Unfortunately, Rebecca isn't as liked as her older sister was."
A squeak redirects the center of attention to the teenage girl, "I- I know I'm... not as well liked or... beloved as Portia... yo- you don't have to bring it up every single meeting."
"If- If my doodles weren't taken away- Maybe I could've gotten the-"
TJ raised his hand to her, not wanting to hear more out of her. Which quickly silenced her, she sat back down against her chair that her sister once sat in, yet it felt uncomfortably too big for her.
"...Be real. You would've given up the key the very moment that the CEO's younger brother showed that bald head of his."
Zane let out an exasperated sigh, he looked over to Rebecca with sympathy and sadness. "Becca... You can leave this meeting if you want. You don't have to take this from a guy who never had anyone care about him in his entire life."
"Oh wow, funny coming from someone like you. Say when's the last time you got a girlfriend?" TJ taunted back.
...Another slam against the table is enough to divert their attention back onto the meeting at hand. They could all tell Player was getting impatient. After a few moments of recollection, TJ cleared his throat.
"Ahem, Rebecca, since you failed with getting the key. You'll be working under me for a bit. And don't even try to get out of it, I will burn that stupid smoke bomb machine to a crisp."
"I know you don't have your sister's blueprints to fix it either. You may go now."
...
Zane looked at Rebecca with sympathy and sadness, frustrated with himself for not being able to do more than to just sit there and let the girl cry to herself as she leaves. He turned towards TJ, angered at what he's said.
"You are such a jerk, TJ, you know that? She didn't even WANT to become an executive this early on."
"Not my decision, it was Big Q's decision-- for her to take her sister's position." TJ rebutted back in justification for his actions. Only baffling Zane further.
His hand flicked back his cloak before he snapped back,
"And you're threatening to destroy one of her sister's last treasures? TJ, are you alright?" TJ just shook his head. "Weren't you at least friendly with Portia?" Zane rebutted.
"I recognized she was one of Big Q's close friends and her importance in the company's growth. And since she was unfortunately murdered by Miss Cur, I will take revenge on her."
TJ looked directly into Zane's eyes, "All I care about is the present. I am dedicated to this company for as long as I remain here. My point is, that dumb machine won't bring her back. Nothing will."
"Sentimentality doesn't work on me."
The progressive tapping in rhythmic patterns catches TJ's attention back onto Player, who was leaning against their armchair with a tilt. He could swear to anyone, that underneath that helmet, they were mocking him.
He hated it.
He
hatedevery time they did that.
He knew what they were saying just by looking at them.
"Watch it, Player." TJ balled up his fists, how smug their expression would be underneath that helmet. That stupid knight helmet of theirs. He wanted to just punch them in the face.
"This is your last warning, Player."
How he hated everything about them, how "perfect" they were, how he was so close to losing his rank, how it unbeatable they were in battle, he hated them so much.
Player relaxed, leaning back against their chair and their head tilts over to "Inari" the young woman in the kitsune mask.
Yet the two of them remained silent, their exchange through their masks ever evident. They didn't need to say anything to one another.
They just
knew.
"You might train your "Knightly Brigade" to match your strength, doesn't mean you're better than us." TJ piped in, gritting through his teeth.
Zane on the other hand, he covered his lips with the palm of his hand, hiding the smirk underneath. It felt great to see the usual "high and mighty" CEO's Right-Hand man TJ get knocked down a peg without a single world uttered.
TJ immediately took notice of Zane's more cheery disposition, "Don't you act like you're better. You relied on the CEO's younger brother's best friend, what's his name? Teneson?"
TJ exhaled with frustration, his grip against his fists tightened before calming himself. Zane, however, was not pleased, "TJ, why are you like this?..." TJ ignored his question and just returned his attention back onto meeting.
"I think it's best we end the meeting. Everything important has been said so let's wrap this up. Everyone say what you'll be doing for the next 2 weeks. Player... I'm assuming you'll be collecting keys with your "Knightly Brigade"."
They nodded.
"Excellent..."
"Inari" pitched in next, "I will be entering the field in the first time since my leadership, so like... 20 years." Her directive not clear, honestly. TJ wanted to slap both "Inari" and Player for being so mysterious.
"I will be training a new intern for Oasis Energy and teaching her the ropes." Zane answered. Burying his arms beneath his royal cloak once more.
"And I will be with him-- Writing PR statements for him of course!" Alice chipped in, which was met with discomfort from Zane. He was most definitely not looking forward with this predicament. "
great.."
"And me? I'll be hitting two birds with one stone." A chuckle escaped TJ's lips, before he officially went ahead and ended the meeting.
...Just like that, the meeting was over.
right?...
"Well what a productive meeting! Wouldn't you agree?"
what.
Alice giggled with delight at your ignorance, "You know, it's very rude to spy into worlds you aren't supposed to. Weren't you taught any manners?"
...
"I hope you'll like what we're making, because as much as you chase your dreams, you'll have to face reality. No matter what, I'll make you see. Remember that. Bye bye for now!"
